Assembling elevator for line casting machines



p 5, 1939. N. N. MOKEEL 2,172,087

ASSEMBLING ELEVATOR FOR LlNE CASTING MACHINES Filed July so, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 5, 1939. N, N, MCKEEL 2,172,087

ASSEMBLING ELEVATOR FOR LINE CASTING MACHINES Filed July 50, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 jm enior /Ve.s y/V//4 fed,

Patented Sept. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ASSEMBLING ELEVATOR FOR LINE CASTING MACHINES 6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in a line casting machine assembling elevator having an auxiliary rail for mixed line composition.

The primary object of the invention is to pro- 5 vide means in such a head for remote control of longitudinally shifting the auxiliary rail for selective assembling on that rail and on the main rail of matrices (commonlytermed mats in the printing shop) in proper elevation so as to permit casting of the slug to have the desired light and black faced type.

A still further important object of the invention is to provide means for locking the auxiliary rail in a position out of the path of the matrices in the head so that the head may then be used for straight composition only (that is, composition not with mixed light and black face type).

Another important object of the invention is to I provide also means for locking the auxiliary rail rices being fed into the head whereby the head then serves to assemble the matrices in their upper positions solely for the usual black face type positions. The customary formation of these matrices for line casting machines'is toform a light face and a black face letter or character mold spaced one above the other in the edge of the matrix so that when the single matrix is fed to the assembling'head, the matrix may have its positioning lugs rest upon either the lower or fixed rail for the usual light face type position or the auxiliary rail may be extended outwardly into the path of the oncoming matrix so as to retain the matrix in an elevated position by having the lug rest on the auxiliary rail so as to space the matrix a proper distance above the lower rail position so as to bring the black face mold or impression on the edge of the matrix .up into a common'line with themold or impression on the edge of the matrix resting on the lower rail for light face composition. That is, each matrix has a lower black face character impression with an upper light face character impression.

Heretofore it has been customary to provide the assembling head withsa hinged side whereby that side maybe pulled downwardly toward the operator to permit the operator tohave access to the assembled matrices andthereby allow him to sort out the matrices and restore'them to-either thelower or upper rail, as the case may be, to secure the desired mixed composition. This means for positioning the matrices in their proper relations requires considerable time as well as. skill. By use of my invention, one matrix at a time may be receivedand carried back on the in an extended position in the path of the matauxiliary rail and that rail retained in its nonreceiving position by a simple manipulation of the operators finger on a member immediately adjacent his keyboard, preferably at the lower left-hand corner thereof.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in following the description given below of one particular form of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which A Fig. 1 is a front side elevation of an assembling head embodying the invention;

Fig. 2, a. right-hand end elevation;

Fig. 3, a detail in left-hand elevation on an enlarged scale of the upper portion of the head;

Fig. 4, a perspective view of a matrix;

Fig. 5, a top plan view of the head with the forward rail swung forwardly;

Fig, 6, a top plan view of the forward part of 20 the head with the auxiliary rail in a shifted position; and Y Fig.7, a like top elevation of the head showing the auxiliary rail in a retracted position.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

The customary assembling head is provided with the spaced apart lower rails in and II on which the lower side lugs l2 and I3 of each matrix I4 are received. The head is also provided with the upper guides I5 and I6 between which the top matrix lugs I1 and I8 are received and guided. As indicated in Fig. 2, the usual matrix receiving latches l9 and 20 are employed so as toretain the matrices within the guides as they are entered therebetween, all in the usual and well known manner.

On the forward side of the head, I mount the customary retaining bar 2| in spaced relation above a horizontal face soas to carry an auxiliary rail 22 between that bar and that face. This rail 22 consists essentially of a fiat metal plate having sufficient width as will permit it to slide laterally under the bar 2| and, extend from the bar toward the rear part of the head a sufficient distance as will cause the lugs l2v on the forward sides, of the matrices to drop thereon when the rail is extended so as to prevent the matrices from dropping on down against the rail ll thereunder. This spacing of the auxiliary rail 22 above the fixed rail H is made to conform to the spacing apart of the black and .lightface character impressions 23 and 24, respectively on the edge of each matrix, Fig. l, so that when the lug l2 of a .matrix'rests on the auxiliary bar 2|, the lower impression 23 is then in horizontal alignment with the upper impression 24 of a matrix resting on the fixed rail I The plate forming the auxiliary rail 22 is provided with a retaining upturned hook or finger 25 on its right-hand end so that the lug |2 of a matrix resting on the auxiliary rail 22 may be pulled to the left when the rail 22 is accordingly shifted. This rail 22 is further formed to have a slot 26 entering from its left end and extending longitudinally to receive a pin 2! down therethrough as a guide means. From the right end of the slot 26 is continued a transverse slot 28 so that when the rail 22 is shifted to its extreme lefthand position, the rail may then be pulled forwardly since the slot 28 will then receive the guide pin 21, A similar longitudinal slot 26a with a transvers slot 280. is provided in the other end portion of the rail 22 to receive the pin 21a in like manner.

The rail 22 has a guide strap 29 fixed on its top side at the left-hand end thereof by any suitable means such as a screw 30. This'strap 29 turns upwardly from the bar 2| to receive thereunder in sliding relation a guide 3|, the strap being so shaped as to permit the guide 3| to move transversely between the strap 29 and the bar 2|. The guide 3| has an upturned finger 32 on its inner end on that side of the bar 2| which is above the rails II and 22. This guide 3| further has a horizontal extension which is provided with a slot 33 within which is guided an upturned finger 34 carried on the end of a lateral extension from the rail 22. This guiding of the finger 34 within the slot 33 prevents rotation of the rail 22 about the pin 21.

The bar 2| being spaced above a face on which the auxiliary rail 22 rests, is so spaced as to permit longitudinal travel of the rail under the bar when the rail is shifted inwardly to a position to receive the feet of the matrices, as indicated in Figs. 2, 3, and 6. When the rail is in this shifted position, it is free to travel within the limits as determined by the pin 21 striking the end of the slot 26 in the one direction and by the end 35 of the rail striking the spacer 36 at the other end of the travel. The auxiliary rail 22 is notched out at its right end, as indicated in Fig. 6, to have the major end portion 35 spaced to the left ofthe hook 25 in'order that the hook 25 may be carried to the extreme right-hand position to coincide with the end of the lower rail so that the extension of the rail 22 carrying the hook 25 will be so extended to the right as to intercept the oncoming matrices as desired. Likewise the left-hand end of the auxiliary rail 22 is notched at least sufficiently great as to permit one matrix to drop onto the rail when the, auxiliary rail 22 is shifted to its left-hand position.

It is the object of making the rail 22 shiftable longitudinally so as to permit a selective action of that rail to intercept certain of the matrices as they are fed to the rails in order to make up the mixed line of composition directly as the matrices reach the rails. This is accomplished by shifting the rail 22 to the right each time a black face matrix is to be inserted in the line and then immediately shifting the rail again to the left when the next letter in the line is to be light face. In other words, the simple shifting of the rail 22 longitudinally will give properly the light and dark face positions of the various matrices set up in the line.

In order to facilitate this shifting of the auxiliary rail 22, I provide a handle 35 which in the present form constitutes an extension from the rail 22 forwardly of the head to have the edges of the extension turned downwardly to form a generally U-shaped member 35 with the opening from the under side. I provide an operating lever 36 having a head 31 rockably inserted into the open end of the handle 35, Fig. 2, and secured to the lever 36 a leg 38 having a reduced foot 39 revolvably carried in a suitable hole 40 formed in the forward side of the assembly head. The lever 36'hasa length suitable to the convenience of the operator, preferably a length long enough to carry the lower end down along the lefthand side of the Linotype keyboard (not shown) whereby the, operator may have the lower end of the lever 36 in position to be operated by lateral movement of his left-hand little finger.

The rail 22 may be constrained to this longitudinal movement only by means of a latch member 4| which consists simply of a bar pivoted about a screw 42 passing through the bar into the outer face of the assembly head, Fig. 1. This member 4| has its outer end shaped into an outturned lip 43 which may be brought up into the path of the handle 35. The length of the lever 4| is made to be such that the lip 43 when brought into position on the left-hand side of the handle 35, as shown in Fig. 1, will stop the movement of the rail 22 a slight distance before the right-hand end of the slot 26 reaches the pin 21, Fig. 6, thus the lip 43 provides a stop as a limit 'to the left-hand direction of travel but yet permits sufficient shifting of the rail 22 to obtain the selective action, as above indicated, in intercepting the desired matrices for black face composition tobe positioned on top of the rail 22. Since this latch member 4| stops the movement of the rail 22 before the transverse slot 28 registers with the pin 21, the rail 22 is thus maintained in position for the mixed line composition. A suitable operating handle 44' is fixed to the member 4L When the head is to be used for straight black face composition, the auxiliary rail 22 may be shifted to its extreme right-hand position and left there and the member 4| rocked upwardly to extend across the outer edge of the rail 22 so as to retain it in the inwardly extended position.

By shifting the latch member 4| downwardly out of the path of the handle 35, the rail 22 may then be shifted to the left to bring the transverse slot 28 into alignment with the pin 2! and then the rail may be pulled outwardly into the position as indicated in Fig. 7. The rail may be secured in this position by moving the member 4| upwardly again to bring the lip 43 inside of the handle to engage about one of the downturned lips thereof. The lip 43 is so shaped as to serve as a spacer between the outside of the head and the under side of the handle 35 whereby the handle cannot then be pushed inwardly. The bar 2| is suitably cut away, as indicated in Fig. 7, to permit the upturned hook 25 to be received thereunder without interference.

course, when the rail 22 is not in use, there is no need for the finger 32- and it is shifted out of position.

The rail 22 is preferably yieldingly retained in either its right or left hand shifted positions by any suitable latch means. In the form herein shown, I employ a pair of spaced apart balls 44 and 45 carried in suitable bores and urged upwardly by springs 46 and 41, respectively, to bear against the under side of the rail. The rail is provided with suitably located cups to receive the balls 44 and 45 in either position and thus r'eleasably'retainthe rail accordingly.

It is thus to be seen from the foregoing description that I have provided a rather unique manner of mounting and. operating the auxiliary rail. The rail may be operated by finger action for selective interception of the matrices without having to stop the machine, lower the upper front guide and shift the matrices around by hand as has been the practice heretofore. Then the machine can only be used with my attachment for straight black face composition, and it can be further shifted to be used for straight light face composition, thereby accomplishing in one assembly head all three uses heretofore requiring interengaging of heads. Furthermore, the mixed composition may be readily secured as quickly as the ordinary straight composition by reason of the use of the shifting lever 36. This feature alone enables the operator to handle mixed composition very speedily and accurately. This hecomes of great importance where the composition consists, for example, of setting up telephone directories.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the one best form. as now known to me, it is obvious that structural details may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I, therefore, do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a line casting assembling elevator having a relatively fixed rail, an auxiliary rail spaced above the fixed rail, means for guiding the rail in longitudinal movement, means permitting lateral retraction of the auxiliary rail from over said fixed rail to an inoperative position, and means securing the auxiliary rail in one of three selected positions including a fixed position extended over the fixed rail, a longitudinally shiftable position over the fixed rail, and said fixed retracted position.

2. In a line-composing machine, a matrix re-' ceiving rail, a duplex rail spaced above the receiving rail, a matrix shifting lip on the receiving end of the duplex rail, guide means optionally restricting the duplex rail to rectilinear travel longitudinally of and parallel to the receiving rail to shift matrices by that travel and to travel transversely thereof when the duplex rail is in its position most remote from the matrix receiving end of the fixed rail, said guide means maintaining said duplex rail in a position extended laterally over the fixed rail during said longitudinal travel and permitting withdrawal from thereover in said transverse travel, shiftable means optionally preventing said transverse travel of the duplex rail while permitting its longitudinal travel, and means for producing said longitudinal travel.

3. In a line-composing machine, a matrix receiving rail, a duplex rail spaced above the receiving rail, a matrix shifting lip on the receiving end of the duplex rail, guide means optionally restricting the duplex rail to rectilinear travel longitudinally of and parallel to the receiving rail to shift matrices by that travel and to travel transversely thereof when the duplex rail is in its position most remote from the matrix receiving end of the fixed rail, said guide means maintaining said duplex rail in a position extended laterally over the fixed rail during said longitudinal travel and permitting withdrawal from thereover in said transverse travel, shiftable means optionally preventing said transverse travel of the duplex rail while permitting its longitudinal travel, and means for producing said longitudinal travel, and means optionally retaining the duplex rail in its transversely shifted position secured against longitudinal travel.

4. In a line-composing assembling head, a matrix receiving rail, an auxiliary rail, means slidingly carrying the auxiliary rail above the first rail, said auxiliary rail having a longitudinal slot therein communicating at one end with a transverse slot, guide means entering said slots, means for reciprocating said auxiliary rail longitudinally within the limits of its longitudinal slot, said longitudinal slot being positioned to have a portion of the auxiliary rail overhang the said first rail while receiving said guide means, and said transverse slot being carried toward that portion whereby the auxiliary rail may be transversely shifted to withdraw said portion when said guide means is entered in the transverse slot, and a matrix engaging lip on the end of said auxiliary rail at the receiving end of said head, said longitudinal slot being sufficiently long as to permit said lip to be shifted along the head to intercept and carry selectively matrices received by the head at one end of travel and to be out of the path of the matrices at the other end.

5. In a line-composing assembling head, a matrix receiving rail, an auxiliary rail, means slidingly carrying the auxiliary rail above the first rail, said auxiliary rail having a longitudinal slot therein communicating at one end with a transverse slot, guide means entering said slots, means for reiprocating said auxiliary rail longitudinally within the limits of its longitudinal slot, said longitudinal slot being positioned to have a portion of the auxiliary rail overhang the said first rail while receiving said guide means, and said transverse slot being carried toward that portion whereby the auxiliary rail may be transversely shifted to withdraw said portion when said guide means is entered in. the trans-. verse slot, and a matrix engaging lip on the end of said auxiliary rail at the receiving end of said head, said longitudinal slot being sufliciently long as to permit said lip to be shifted along the head to intercept and carry selectively matrices received by the head at one end of travel and to be a guide member transversely shiftable of the auxiliary rail, an aligning piece lifter finger on I the guide member, and means interconnecting the auxiliary rail and said guide member whereby the guide member is shifted transversely with the rail.

6. In a line-composing assembling head, a matrix receiving rail, an auxiliary rail, means ,slidingly carrying the auxiliary rail above the slot, said longitudinal slot being positioned to have a portion of the auxiliary rail overhang the said first rail while receiving said guide means, and said transverse slot being carried toward that portion whereby the auxiliary rail may be transversely shifted to Withdraw said portion When said guide means is entered in the transverse slot, and a matrix engaging lip on the end of said auxiliary rail at the receiving end of said head, said longitudinal slot being sufficiently long as to permit said lip to be shifted along the head to intercept and carry selectively matrices received by the head at one end of travel and to be out of the path of the matrices at the other end, a guide member transversely shiftable of the auxiliary rail, an aligning piece lifter finger on the guide member, and means interconnecting the auxiliary rail and said guide member whereby the guide member is shifted transversely with the rail, said guide member carrying a longitudinal slot, and said interconnecting means comprising a member carried by the auxiliary rail and entered in said slot.

NESBY N. MoKEELl 

